1. Field
Provided is a device and method for separating target particles in a fluid sample by size.
2. Description of the Related Art
Technologies for separating target particles in a fluid sample have applications in various fields. For example, diverse medical fields associated with phathogen detection, new drug discovery, drug tests, cell replacement therapies, and the like necessitate target cell separation. In environmental fields associated with sewage treatment, technologies of separating fine source contaminants may have a wide range of applications. In cancer diagnosis, early detection of tumor cells and monitoring after surgical operations is a very crucial factor, so there has been extensive research for more convenient and accurate cancer cell separation technologies. However, due to being complicated and time-consuming, existing cancer cell separation technologies are ineffective in treating cancer related diseases that necessitate rapid diagnosis and treatment. For example, circulating tumor cells (“CTCs”) in breast cancer are rare in the body, and thus, sampling a sufficient amount of CTCs for medical treatment and research is difficult. Therefore, there has been a demand for efficient technologies of separating target particles such as cancer cells present in a small amount in a fluid sample containing body fluids such as blood.